While home care may be available from a variety of sources, the Department holds information only on those staff employed within the Northern Ireland health and social services. The number of home care staff employed by trusts in the western health and social services board area is detailed in the following table.
Grade Home carer/home care assistant Home help Headcount 386 1,274 Whole-time equivalent 177.80 457.45 Notes: 1. Altnagelvin trust, as an acute trust, do not employ home helps. 2. Sperrin Lakeland trust stated that as part of the Home Care Reform Programme a number of home care assistants have been signed up and are awaiting deployment. 3. Figures include staff employed on an “as and when required” basis. Source: Western Health and Social Services Board Area Trusts
The number of occasions patients in the Western Health and Social Services Board area have been detained in hospital because no home carers were available in each of the last 12 months is not available. However, the number of patients who have had their discharge delayed due to “no place or package being available” and who were recorded as being resident in the Western Board area in each of the last 12 months are detailed in the following table.
Month Number of delayed discharges due to no available place or package 2005 November 12 December 10 2006 January 9 February 8 March 8 April 6 May <5 June 6 July1 <5 August1 <5 September 1 10 October1 7 1Information is currently provisional and subject to change. Notes: 1. Figures are presented in respect of the position at the last day of each month 2. Please note that cell sizes that have a value of less than 5 have been masked in order to help protect confidentiality. Source: Departmental Return, DDL.